Area Merchants Ready for Spring After Winter of Discontent
The snow may look pretty but the frequent storms have made it an ugly winter for many area merchants.
It would be no surprise to learn a majority of area residents are weary from the snow and cold and eagerly await spring.
That presumed sentiment is certainly felt among many area merchants, who with few exceptions, would love to turn the page on January and February and leave the parade of storms and bone-chilling cold behind.
“It’s not a great time of year as it is. It’s hard for me,” said Eve Spence, co-owner of Auntie Penny, a toy store on King Street in Chappaqua, who lost three days earlier this month due to storms.
While winter may be a challenging season for many retailers no matter the weather, this year has done most merchants no favors. Aside from losing a few days of business by opening late, closing early or being unable to make it in altogether, there are generally fewer shoppers who venture out in the more extreme conditions. Add that to many shoppers pulling back on their spending after the holidays and you have a winter of discontent.
For communities that can attract more of a walk-in crowd, the scene hasn’t been quite as dire. Rhoda Gennarelli, owner of the boutique Rhodadendron on Wheeler Avenue in Pleasantville, said she’s saved by the fact that a certain number of shoppers will walk by her store going to or from the train station. Plus, her corner location at Bedford Road gives her greater visibility than most merchants.
Still, business hasn’t been what it’s supposed to be. As a result, she has used all of the tools at her disposal to entice shoppers into her store.
“We’re pricing our merchandise aggressively to give people an opportunity to come in and buy a little something extra for themselves, to feel better about the weather,” Gennarelli said.
Helping store owners devise strategies other than depending on the walk-in crowd is something the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce has focused on this winter, said its president Nancy Shenker. She said use of social media and bolstering the online presence of its members can help some merchants survive a bleak winter.
On Feb. 12, the evening before the last major storm, the chamber hosted a forum specifically addressing that topic.
That’s something that Spence has been trying to do at Auntie Penny. Although the afternoon following the Feb. 13 storm turned into a pleasant but cold afternoon, she bemoaned the fact that the downtown faced a slow week with the schools closed and many residents out of town.
However, Spence has looked to make use of technology.
“We’re trying to let people know they can call in an order, they can email an order, they can text us,” she said. “We try to do everything we can to provide service.”
Food stores and restaurants might have a bit of an easier time making it through the winter, but even those businesses have felt the pinch of cold weather. Ian Sanchez, manager of BGR The Burger Joint on South Moger Avenue in Mount Kisco, said business this winter has been comparable to last year, even with a few weather-related closures. But on Feb. 13, Sanchez shut down the establishment by 5 p.m. because there was no one on the street.
Factoring in a poor two months after the holidays is a cost of doing business, he said.
“Usually people, they go out but not as much, not as much anymore, especially after all the holidays, after Black Friday, New Year’s and Christmas,” Sanchez said. “Nobody wants to go out and spend money.”
Then there are the businesses that should relish a bad winter. Louis Bastone, owner of Chappaqua Hardware, said business has been strong, but the problem has been trying to restock the products everyone wants–rock salt and calcium. As a result, he’s ready for the warmer weather.
“Let’s put it behind us and let’s get into spring already,” Bastone said. “It was good but now it’s enough already. It’s hard to get product. Whatever product is out there is too expensive.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
